Peiminine Attenuates Acute Lung Injury Induced by LPS Through Inhibiting Lipid Rafts Formation

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a kind of lung serious disease which leads to the damage of alveolar epithelial cells and capillary endothelial. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the common factors inducing ALI. The previous study has reported that the anti-inflammatory effect of peiminine, but little is known about its effect on the ALI induced by LPS. The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic effect of peiminine on LPS-induced acute lung injury and potential mechanisms. Mice were given LPS through nasal cavity to establish ALI model, and then the peiminine (1, 3, or 5 mg/kg) was injected into the mice as the experimental group. In the present study, we would measure the W/D ratio, activity of MPO, the histopathological changes, and the levels of cytokines. The results showed that peiminine could reduce the W/D ratio and the MPO activity significantly. Furthermore, the histopathological changes and the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were inhibited after the peiminine treatment. In vitro, peiminine significantly inhibited LPS-induced IL-8 production in A549 lung epithelial cells. Meanwhile, the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway was suppressed obviously by peiminine with the western blot analysis. Also, peiminine significantly attenuated LPS-induced AKT and PI3K phosphorylation. In addition, peiminine was found to disrupt lipid rafts formation by attenuating the cholesterol content. In conclusion, peiminine could attenuate LPS-induced ALI in mice and it may become a new approach to treat ALI.